The present invention relates generally to monitoring inventory levels and, more particularly, to identifying types of products and determining a quantity of each of the types of products on a particular surface (e.g., hanging on a display hanger).
Typical inventory monitoring procedures may involve an employee using a barcode reader to physically scan a stock-keeping unit (SKU) of each product or of each type of product in a store. More advanced inventory monitoring procedures may involve attaching an electronically readable tag circuit (e.g., a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag circuit) to each product and using a wireless reader to identify each of the tag circuits. Other methods also exist. Each method provides trade-offs between various considerations such as cost, accuracy, speed, frequency, and other considerations. As an example, using electronically readable tag circuits can reduce inventory monitoring time because multiple tags can be read simultaneously (even those that are not visible to the wireless reader device). However, using electronically readable tag circuits is generally more costly because each product has to be tagged and the tag circuits are generally not reusable.
Thus, improved systems and methods are continually sought that provide more favorable trade-offs for inventory monitoring.